The present invention generally relates to predicting electromagnetic disturbance events. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for generating warnings of harmonic distortion events in an electrical power grid caused by solar eruptions originating from the Sun.
Solar eruptions, also called coronal mass ejections, solar wind, or substorms, can cause geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) on earth. Solar eruptions are variable waves of charged particles that travel through space and interact with the earth's magnetic fields. Solar eruptions can generate geomagnetically-induced currents (GICs) on exposed overhead transmission lines. GICs can have a severe impact on the electrical power grid, including, for example, voltage distortion, transformer damage, and large-scale blackouts. Utility companies primarily rely on actual and forecasted values of magnetic activity (indices) to create warnings to attenuate the effects of solar eruptions.